Artificial fiber and process of producing same



Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTIFICIAL FIBER. AND PROCESS OF PRODUCING SAME Rudolph H. Kagi, Grantwood, N. J., assignor to Heberlein Patent Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing. Application February 27, 1933, ?;:ri2al No. 658,838. In Germany March 10,

13 Claims. (Cl. 1 17-53) This invention relates to the improvement of artificial fibers, especially artificial silk. The known products of artificial silk possess a greater brittleness than natural fibers. Through various finishing treatments this characteristic can be eliminated somewhat, but insufficiently. It has already been proposed to increase the elasticity of artificial fibers by chemical action, but up to the present time no real success has been attained in this direction.

The principal object of the present invention accordingly is to produce an artificial silk possessing novel characteristics and especially one in which the objectionable characteristic mentioned is substantially reduced or eliminated. Another object is to provide a simple and eflicient process for producing this material.

The invention comprises the novel products as well as the novel processes and steps of processes according to which such products are manufactured, the specific embodiments of which are described hereinafter by way ofyexample and in accordance with which I now prefer to practice the invention.

In accordance with this invention artificial yarn is employed having what I shall call a super-twist which I will define below. Some yarns appear on the market already twisted but the super-twist which I give the yarns is higher than that occurring in the usual twisted yarns on the market. In carrying out the first step of the process I may start with a yarn which is either normally twisted or else has no twist at all. After giving the yarn a super-twist it is placed on bobbins and in this condition is subjected to setting preferably accomplished by an intensive wetting at high temperature. Thereafter the yarn is carefully dried on the bobbin or spool. After this treatment the yarn is detwisted in the opposite direction and as a rule given moreturns in the opposite direction than the yarn had when the detwisting started, so that the prepared yarn shows a twist opposite to the one it originally had. The yarn so prepared has high elasticity and the other characteristics desired, as mentioned above.

In practice twisted yarn, or, as usually the case, especially with cuprammonium yarns, the untwisted yarn is twisted on an appropriate apparatus suchas a twisting machine. The amount of twist given to produce the super-twist depends on the kind and size of the artificial silk yarn as also on the effect desired, according as more or less curl is sought. For instance, I employ 400-1250 twists per meter for -80 denier to be treated by twisting it, setting it and untwisting it as herein described, and determining thereby what minimum twist is required to give to the yarn the characteristics herein mentioned to make a simple test on the particular yarn' as desired. When I refer to super-twist given 15 yarn or super-twisting yarn, I intend to cover the twists or twisting action necessary for producing such results. In order to obtain very characteristic effects, the number of twists can be considerably increased over the minimum amount. Thereafter the material in the twisted condition is set by moistening at high temperature. The twisted yarns are preferably wound on spools of' metal or other heat and water-resisting material. The winding on these spools is done preferably in the same. operation while the super-twist is being given the yarn.

The important wetting treatment is accomplished at elevated temperatures. For this purpose steaming at atmospheric pressure is esting method used, thesoaking of the material 40 may occur for a shorter or longer period. It is important that after the wetting-out treatment, the yarn on the spool be completely dried.

The untwisting is preferably carried out on a twisting machine or similar apparatus. The degree of untwisting is determined according to the purpose for which the prepared products are to be used. In each case the untwisting is to be carried close to the zero point. For most purposes,

it is, however, twisted past the zero point so that the final yarn possesses a given twist but in the opposite direction. In order'to save manipulation the reverse twist is carried out only as far as necessary.

T process an e applied to all kinds of artificial silks consisting of untwisted, twisted or spun threads. In addition such threads mixed with other vegetable or animal fibers can be ennobled in this manner.- The final product can be used for all purposes for which yarns are employed, such as for cloth, knitting, braiding and embroidery, etc.

Threads treated according to the process of the invention can also be cut to staple fibers and respun for which the artificial curled fibers are particularly suited.

The following are given as examples of the' process. It is to be understood that the examples are illustrative and are not to be construed in a limiting sense.

Examples 1. Copper ammonium yarn of a size of 150 denier with a twist of 200 per meter is supertwisted to 2000 twists per meter. Thereupon the supertwisted yarn, which has been placed on Nickelin bobbins, is steamed at 5 atmospheres pressure for minutes at 158 C. After drying,

the yarn is untwisted on the twisting machine, past the zero point and brought to 80 twists per meter in the opposite direction,

2. Viscose yarn of a size of 450 denier with 100, twists per .meter is supertwisted to 1200 twists" per meter. Then the supertwisted yarn held "on spools is steamed at 2 atmospheres pressure for one-half hour at 135 C. The yarn is untwisted V after drying past the zero point and brought to careful drying the untwisting of'the yarn takes place as mentioned in the, previous examples to a final twist of 100 per meter in the opposite direction.

4. Untwisted copper ammonium yarn of a size of 120 denier is given 2500 twists per meter. Then the yarn spools are steamed for 40 minutes at 4 atmospheres pressure at 152 C. After drying the yarn is untwisted to the zero point and in this condition is cut into staple fibers on a suitable cutting machine.

5. Acetate silk yarn of a size of 120 denier with 150 twists per meter, is supertwisted to 2000 twists per meter, then the supertwisted yarn held on spools is impregnated with a wettlngagent consisting of Turkey red oil. Thereafter the yarn still wound up on the spools is suspended in boiling water and left for 50 minutes in this boiling bath. After careful drying the untwisting of the yarn takes place as mentioned in the previous examples to afinal twist of 100 per meter in the opposite direction.

In the examples given above, the references to atmospheres pressure" means super-pressure; for instance, the reference to 5 atmospheres corresponds to 6 atmospheres absolute. Further with respect to the various examples of the invention described above, it is to be understood that the temperature may vary approximately between 100 C. and 160 C. depending upon the atmospheric pressure used while steaming.

The yarns prepared according to the invention and particularly as given in the examples above, have a lasting curliness which increases in accordance with the degree of twisting, the in-- creased curliness being desirable for decorative purposes. The ellltictty of the yam is considerably increased and the relative heat-conducting capacity is reduced. By the invention, an effect of increased softness and wooliness is obtained, and also increased heat-insulation, in a woven or knitted fabric produced from such yarn. In 5 general a product is produced of a wool-like character distinguishing itself from real wool by a certain special luster.

Thus while I have described my improvements in detail and with respect to certain preferred 10 forms, I do not desire to belimited to such details or forms since, as will be noticed by those skilled in the art, after understanding my invention many changes and modifications may be made and the invention embodied in widely dif- 18 ferent forms without departing from the spirit and scope thereof in its broader aspects, and I desire to cover all modifications, forms and improvements coming within the scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

The expression setting as used in the appendant claims signifies a moistening of the yarn at an elevated temperature or equivalent treatment thereof and is distinct from the well-known process of drying.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A process for producing a new artificial fibrous material which comprises supertwisting 80 an artificial silk yarn, setting the twist therein ficial silk yarn, wetting this yarn at an elevated temperature, drying theyarn and thereafter 40 twisting it in the opposite direction.

4. A process for producing a new artificial silk fibrous material which comprises twisting artificial silk yarn until it has a super-twist, placing the yarn so twisted on bobbins, moistening it at a high temperature thereon, drying the yarn thereon and afterwards untwisting the yarn whereby a soft woolly material is produced.

' 5. A process for producing a new artificial silk material, which comprises supertwisting an artificial silk yarn, placing the supertwisted yarn on a spool, immersing'the spooled yarn in a moist atmosphere of about 100 C. or more and twisting the yarn in the opposite direction tonntwist it.

6. A process according to claim 3 in which the wetting occurs in water at a temperature near the boiling point or above.

'7. A process for producing a new artificial material which comprises supertwisting an arti- 00 ficial silk yarn, treating the yarnwith a wetting agent, setting the twist therein by moistening the yarn at high temperature, drying the yarn and untwisting it.

8. A process according to claim 3 in which the wetting and drying of the yarn is eifected on bobbins.

9. A process according to claim 1 in which the artificial threads are untwisted past the zero point and are then given a twist in the opposite direction.

10. A process according to claim 3 in which the artificial threads are untwisted past the zero point and are then given a twist in the opposite direction.

ilfA process according to claim 1 in which the 13. A woolly material composed of artificial treated threads are finally cut into short staple si1k alone or admixed with other fibers possessing fibers. a lasting curliness, high luster and great soft- 12. Artificial fibers characterized by the fact ness,*such fibers being readily elongatable when 5 that they possess a lasting curliness, high luster subjected to a stretching force and being sufli- 5 and great softness, said fibers being readily elonciently elastic to return to or nearly to their origigatable when subjected to a stretching force and nal position upon discontinuanceof said stretchbeing sufiiciently elastic to return to or nearly to ing force.

their original position upon discontinuance of 10" said stretching force. RUDOLPH H. KAGI. 10 

